San Fernando City signs MOA with MEF for holistic, ecological waste management

The City of San Fernando, Pampanga (CSFP) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Mother Earth Foundation for the implementation of an ecological solid waste management program focusing on their 35 component barangays.

The goal of the project is to enable the city and its barangays to be compliant with Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. Currently, the city has implemented measures at the city level to achieve this goal. They have closed their city dumpsite in Brgy. Lara; implemented efforts to reduce the amount of waste generated; and have conducted Information and Education Campaigns (IEC) encouraging waste segregation at source. They have also started a competition among all offices in City Hall to encourage waste reduction and segregation.

The City’s policy to accept only residual waste has forced the barangays to address the problem of waste in their area. Some, however, have opted to hire sorters rather than implement at-source segregation. “This is where we want MEF to help us, to empower our barangays” said Ms. Rowena Freeman, the City Environment and Natural Resources Officer.

“I am looking forward to this partnership with CSFP, to have another model on barangay- based ESWM,” said Mr. Froilan Grate, MEF President. “They are off to a good start. They have the most functional City ESWM Board that I have ever seen. Aside from meeting regularly, it is well represented and the members are all active,” he added.

MEF will also help review the City’s Environment Code as well as assist the City in its Greening Program.

Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, meanwhile, remarked during the MOA signing “We welcome this partnership with MEF, in line with our policy of participatory governance and public –private partnership.”

“We hope this will make the City of San Fernando not only a model LGU on governance but on waste management as well for it to be a truly world-class city,” the Mayor added.